Sunday, May 24, 2026

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z May 24, 2026

SMOKE:
New Mexico/Central U.S.…
The Seven Cabins Fire in Lincoln County, New Mexico continued to burn
this evening, and produced a plume of light-density smoke drifting
north-to-east. Isolated fires from Kansas to North Dakota produced small
light-density smoke plumes drifting generally northeastward.

Northwest Territories/Central Canada…
Remnant light-density smoke was observed in northern Canada in the
northwester Territories and Nunavut, extending south into north central
CONUS.

Pacific Northwest…
The Jericho Creek fire in Montana was observed producing light to
heavy-density smoke drifting eastward. Isolated surrounding fires were
observed producing light density smoke generally eastward.

Florida…
A fire located in central Florida was observed producing light-density
smoke fanning out drifting generally northward.

SMOKE/AEROSOL:
Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Central America...
Fire activity, aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial
activities, and remnant smoke from previous days contributed to a
widespread layer of moderate-to-light density smoke and aerosols across
Mexico and northern Central America. Smoke gathered along the Gulf coast
of Mexico, and extended south over Guatemala and the Pacific coast. Light
smoke spread west into the Pacific, south into northern Central America,
and north over the western Gulf of America before meeting with multiple
weather systems in the southern United States. Moderate-density smoke
was observed across central and southern Guatemala and in the southern
Gulf of America drifting southward across Mexico into the Pacific Ocean.

DUST:
Baja California…
Light blowing dust was observed in northern Baja California drifting
northeastward into the Gulf of California.

Monaghan


THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF
SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME DETACHED
FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE,
TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE
ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THESE
AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE SOURCE
FIRE IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE:

JPEG:http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg
Smoke data:
https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Smoke_Polygons
Fire data:
https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Fire_Points

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO:
SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov

 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.